The Faction Games
by fly on
Summary: Every year, twenty children, four from each faction are chosen to fight to the death in an arena. one year, a young girl will find out a secret about the games that none have previously known. I'm terrible at summaries, please read the story, it will be better, I promise. the genres are: friendship, tragedy, mystery, adventure, and I may have one or two fluff scenes.
1. prologue

There is peace and all is supposedly well in the five factions. That is for one reason alone. The Faction games. Every year, after initiation, four children from each faction are chosen to fight to the death. The Faction members that are chosen must be between the age of 16 and 20. The Faction heads claim it is to help the children see how brutal war is to keep another uprising from happening. In the midst of all this, one girl arises, a girl who is willing to fight to end the brutality and to bring the truth into the light.


	2. chapter 1: the explanation

President Aria stood at the oak podium that was televised over the whole nation. Everyone was nervous as she began the story

"Fifty years ago, there was an uprising. It was war. It started with the Erudite. They injected a simulation into our fighters, the dauntless. They were forced to attack the Abnegation. a young girl, Tris, stopped the simulation, everyone had a choice to make. Who to side with. The Abnegation was almost gone and the few that were left went to Amity, our peaceful Faction. The dauntless was split down the middle. Half sided with Erudite, either by bribery, force, or choice. Others went to Candor for safety. Then the fractionless were added to the war on the side on Dauntless and Candor. Though the dauntless, Candor, and fractionless claimed to have won the war, there was no true winner. many were hurt, maimed, or died. That is why we hold the fraction games. it is to show our young generation how war really is, how bad fighting with ourselves is, and why we should never repeat history. In the Fraction Games, four children from each faction between the ages of 16 and 20 are chosen. we choose three woman and one man. we pick more woman to keep from over populating."

This story the president tells every year, every year before the Fraction games. Every person in every fraction is watching the television. Every Parent, fearing for their child, every child fearing for their life, every sibling fearing for their bother and sister. Everyone knows that someone will be picked. no one know who, but they can only hope it isn't them.


	3. chapter 2: the tributes of Abnegation

Ella POV

I walk down the streets on the line my fraction always prefers. We all head to the same place, The Corner. The Corner is the main block in our fraction. it is always busy with some event, and it is the only place where self indulgent items are allowed. There are cameras and microphones and a giant television.

I feel the sweat clinging to my skin under my lose gray robe. I know everyone here feels the same way I do. We all Fear death, but above that, we fear selfishness. We have only ever had one winner, Amaya. after Amaya returned, she was resigned to be fractionless, even though she only did what was required of her in the games.

I start to feel sick at the thought of death or, even worse, killing. I feel as though I will throw up. Then the same lady as every year comes onto a stage. She is wearing something to represent every Faction, because she picks for all of them. She walks over to a bowl. it is decorated with the out outstretched hands representing the Abnegation and pink on the rest of it for the girls. She reaches down, chirping:

"Ladies first"

Then she pulls out a slip of paper and, pursing her lips reads

"Ella Ariah"I feel dizzy. the world I spinning around me as I retch into a pile. The world spins violently as I try to walk up to the stage and I trip and fall. the last thing I hear before the pavement hits my head is Rosalie, my little sister screaming

"Ella, Nooooo"

Then I hear no more

Mariah P OV

Iam already nervous when the lady called the first name. I selfishly thank the Lord it's not me, when the girl next to me collapses. a mother is in the back sobbing with a child yelling. I pick up the girl named Ella and take her pulse. I carry her to the stage, while parents in the back selflessly console the mother and child. As I hand Ella carefully of to the man standing next to the picker, who's name I notice its Monica from the Tag on her shirt.

"what's your name, darling? "asks Monica with a fake smile filed withbrilliant white teeth

."Mariah Peters, Ms." I answer, my head down.

"well, mrs. Peters, would you like to pick the next name for me" Monica asks.

I have a battle of inner turmoil. Is it selfish to want to pick, or rude and selfish to say no

."come on, darling" says Monica,

so I pickI breath nervously.

my name is only one of hundreds. the bowl seems daunting. I gently put my hand in and drag out a piece of paper. I wipe my free hand on my robe and chew my lip as I flip it overto read the name. I see my name on a piece on paper.

"how can this be?" I whisper

"what's wrong, darling" questions Monica as she plucks the paper from my hand. "oh, I'm sorry darling" and for the first time I I see pity in her eyes.

I stumble and fall and, although I am awake, I have no reason to get up. Then I hear my mother screaming

"be strong, be brave, Mariah"

I try to get up, and again I fall. the man who took Ella picks me up and carried me to the back room, ppassing me to a Amity nurse.

"darn Abnegation, they always collapse"

"oh, be nice Tobby, thier not used to violence" the nurse chastised.

and I decided to sleep. I feel frozen, but I can sleep. so I do.

Vallery P OV

I have watched two girls collapse, two have thier nightmares become reality. I exhale as the second name isn't mine. I am safe, for now. I breath deeply and count to ten, watching the picker.

one...

She gives a sad smile saying

"one more lucky girl and boy"

two...

she walks over to the bowl and gives a disgusting post for the cameras

three..

She waves and smiles, like this is her party, taking her time, forgetting about us

four...

She reaches her hand into the pink bowl, posing again

five...

She pulls out a slip of paper and opens it, looking as though she owns the world

six...

"and the last female contestant from Abnegation is..."

seven...

"Vallery Halls"

eight...

I realize my name has just been called. I don't want to go, I don't want to leave. I can't go, I can't leave. I stand my ground. I will not go, I will not die. Malaya, standing next to me gives me a big. We don't usually touch, but this is different. it is a big if loss, friendship, hope and love. I hug her back and I notice tears on my shoulder. Malaya's tears.

Then she suddenly wispers into my ear "go now. your mother will be in enough papain. you fighting can only hurt her more."

I know the truth in Malaya's words.

"I love you, Malaya" I say. Then I detach myself from her. I look into her eyes one final time. "goodbye" I whisper. I know she didn't hear, but it is not just her I say goodbye to. it is to The Corner, to my house, to Abnegation, to the Fraction, to my family, friends, and neighbors. it is to everything and everyone. this is my final goodbye.

Lucas P OV

I have watched three girls get lead away to a hall where no one comes back from. Two of the girls have collapsed, one had stood strong, laying herself get lead away. if I am picked, I would like to be more like the last girl. Vallery Hall.

all of the boys brace ourselves as the woman walks from the pink bowl to the one next to it. it still had the insignia, it is just blue.

"and now for our single male tribute" said the lady with a cheerful smile, and again and poses for the cameras

we all flinch as she reaches her hand into the bowl and pulls out a piece of paper, treating it like s dead fish. I an hopeful. If I am not picked, I Will not have to worry last year. I am 20 now. soon I will be safe. I have no parents here. I left the truth in Candor for the selflessness in Abnegation and have never regretted my choice.

"Lucas Chris" said the picker and I an so lost in thought, it takes Me a moment to register that I an the name tribute. I will be strong. I will walk away like Vallery. I command my legs to step step step. I have to concentrate. I will not fall. I will not fall. I will be strong. I will be strong.I will survive.

I step on to the stage and the lady puts her arm around me. I glare at her as she poses, trying to put all of my hate and malice for someone who could send children to thier deaths into one glare. as soon as she lets me go, I hurry into the back room and collapse into a chair. I hear then clean up outside, and have no desire to see what is happening. I have no idea how much time passes, and I don't care. all I what to know is how to survive without losing my faction.


	4. chapter 3: the tributes of Amity

**Alice**** POV**

we are usually the happiest faction. usually we are skipping, running, dancing, singing, and playing. that is only the beginning of what is different today. There is no air of happiness or joy, only a somber feeling of death in the air. We walk to the tree and silently sit down. I reach over and grasp Tara's hand. I feel get grasp my hand back. Both of our hands are sweaty, but we cling to each other like this is the last time we will ever see each other, which it might be. I feel my heart racing, my hand growing even more slippery. I look around and see that I am not the only one. tears food down many of my friends faces and I wish to comfort them, to tell them it will be all right. but I can't. I can't comfort them, or even assure them. I am not sure it will be alright

. I see camera men waking around, filming and taking pictures of the lady. I have learned that her name is Monica. Up on the stage that she will soon walk on, I see the two bowls. Both have the Amity tree on them, one is pink, for the girls. one is blue, for the boys.

although I have completed initiation, I feel like a little child again. I long to run for my mother's arms. but I can't. My mother is in Abnegation. I miss her, but I know she still loves me.

Then Monica walks onto the stage. I grip Tara's hand even tighter and she does the same.

"Ladies first" chirps Monica as she smiled like she won the lottery.

She delicately plucks the top piece of paper from the bowl.

"and our first very lucky female tribute from Amity is Alice Vera. come up here girl"

I feel faint. my head spins and I lean on Tara for support. She gently helps me stand up. leaning on her, I make my way to the stage. a man, Tobby I think his name is, picks me up and carries me to the back room. a Amity nurse is standing there and she helps me sit down.

"the Amity are even worse than the Abnegation." he snorts

"don't talk about us like that" I say in a quiet but deadly voice

he stops laughing and stares. Then I walk into another room where I see people. I see the Abnegation tributes, and worry about the fate of my friends.

**Mali POV**

I watch as Tara helps Alice to the stage.

"what's your name, dear" asks Monica

"Tara" she almost wisphers. "Tara VonViker"

"well, Tara, why don't you pick for me?"

I watch as Tara's eyes widen. I know she wants to say no. we all watched theAbnegation who picked herself. I watch as Tara walks slowly towards the bowl that may hold her death. Elma who is sitting next to me puts her arm protectivly around me. She makes me feel safe. tara meekly reaches into the bowl, pulling out a single skip of paper.

Then her eyes met mine. They seem to be full of apology and reget and I know it is me. I take a deep breath and savor what may be my last moment with everyone here. with my friends, my life, everything and everyone. I squeeze Elma tightly and she hugs me.

Then I stand up. I put my chin up high and walk proudly towards the front. I represent Amity, and I will represent them well. This is me. I will be strong, be brave, be courageous. I step into the stag. and Tara runs up to me.

"I'm so sorry" she chokes back a sob.

I lay my hand on her shoulder and feel unwanted tears. "don't be" I say gently. Then I hug her and disappear into the room, hoping I will return to the place I love.

**Leah POV**

watching Mali disappear into the room, I feel proud. She will represent Amity will. my home will be proven to not be the least of the factions. although her exit will be hard for the next person to compare to, I know we won't judge.

I breath deeply as Monica steps onto the stage. for the first time in the seventeen years I have seen her send children to thier deaths, I see a hint of regret in her eyes. I thought I saw it in Abnegation, but now I'm sure of it. I see it clearly, Like she is rethinking her career choice, upset with herself and what she has done.

Then she steps towards the bowls. after that last exit, she is clearly upset. She gingerly lifts the piece of paper from the bowl. I can tell she wants to hurl it across the room, but she didn't.

"and, the last, lucky, female contestant is" she spits out the word lucky like a rotten apple, like she finally sees how unlucky they are.

my friend Ala, who is sitting next to me whispers into my ear "only one more girl, only one more of us. the chances are so little. we can survive."

I am so concentrated on believing Ala's words, then my trance isbroken as I hear my name, Leah Mara, called out from the stage.

a slight gasp escapes Ala's mouth, though I don't let it affect me. I walk towards the stage as Mali did, brave and confident. Ala is right. we can survive.

**Tyler POV**

I watch all the girls disappear. I see the cold, careless, look disappear from Monica's eyes. She is desperate to leave. I see a tear run down her face, leaving a trail of black mascara down herface.

"our final tribute" sniffs Monica "to these...games" She signs, obviously distressed "our only male tribute. from the faction of Amity."

She shuffled forward, realizing that she hasn't picked a name. gently, she dips her hand into the blue bowl. She pulls a piece of paper out, holding it like a dead fish.

as she unfolds it, all of the boys tense. we are not ready to leave, but not ready to let our friends go

Monica takes a deep breath "the final tribute if amity, the only male tribute is Tyler Gemad"

my head spins. I did not expect this. I don't want to die. I won't die. I will stay strong. I will survive. I walk tall, proud, into the back room. about ten minutes later, Monica runs into the rim andvsits down.

"I can't do this anymore. I just can't" she yells hystericaly into thes sky. I go over to comfort her and she sobs into my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry" is ask . She says "I'm so so sorry"


	5. Chapter 4: the tributes of Candor

**Sarah POV**

nervous. that's all any of us are as we make our way to the center Plaza. unlike the other factions, we are not silent. we complain, rant, and yell loudly about how we feel about this. What do you expect? we've been raised to speak out minds, there's no stopping us now. I see the lady with the insignia of all factions standing of to the side. I see that see looks pale and sick, and I remember her reactions to the Amity tributes. I smirk, knowing she will not be nearly as accepted as in the other factions. the smirk calms me down.

Pale and sickly steps onto the stage to a barrage of angry comments.

"why are you do willing to kill children"

"why don't you just quit"

"what is so wrong with us"

"why do you hate us"

"your a murderer"

"how do you live with yourself"

I hear yelling from all corners. our comments are hurtful, but truthful. what else do you expect from candor?

at one point, someone must have started throwing fruit, because next thing I see, the lady is being pelted with apples, oranges, mangos, melons, and truthful comments. I see tears facing down her face as she is pelted with fruit after fruit. I suddenly feel bad. with a incorrectly aimed blow, we could kill her.

"please stop" she begs, and for a while, we don't.

about ten minutes later, we run out of fruit. the lady is even paler, her makeup is running down her face and she is covered in fruit. her hair is disheveled and she is covered in bumps and bruises. She limps to the pink bowl with the candor symbol, and pulls out a slip.

"the lucky contestant" she says sarcastically "is Sarah Parin"

I am surprised, because I didn't expect it to be me. I thought I had s chance at freedom. apparently not. I am still not scared, just really angry. I stomp up to the stage and get my face in the women

"how could you do this?" I spit out "every year, you send nineteen kids to their deaths. it's always you. how can you live with yourself, you murderer?" then I walk into the backroom.

I am not ready to die. I will not die.

**Mariah POV**

I watch as the woman is pelted with fruit, injured and in pain. and none of us do a thing. all, if not most of us do nothing. and don't care. the truth hurts. it's what we're known for. we all have a mutual feeling with how Sarah acted. I'm pretty sure we all would have done the same thing. but now someone has to try to top that.

"good luck beating that one" yells someone in the corner, voicing my thoughts.

I chuckle. raised together, thinking together. it is something that I have learned Is quite true. the transfers never quite fit in, but all who are born here seem to fit together like a puzzle. it is a thought I always have and have voiced many times. I have found that many agree with me.

I am brought out of my little world of thoughts by Makara elbowing me. "you look like a thief right now, with that funky smirk on your face" I know what she says is true. what else could it be? we are candor, after all.

I grin back at her, more a grin than a smirk this time. "just thinking" I say

"really, you thinking? it must not be about homework. I've seen your grades." most people would think she was either kidding or joking, but I knew she really meant it.

"thinking about how alike we all are." I said. "now watch, the lady. she's going to pick the next girl. two more."

I suddenly feel nervous. I didn't expect to be nervous. we aren't the most loving faction, with all that offensive truth telling. we all have few friends, so we have few people to worry about, and the chance you will get picked is low.

I watch as she walks up to the bowl, pulling out a slip of paper. she sniffs and sneezes out a little bit of fruit juice. we all laugh. I see a tear run down her face and her voice trembles as she reads "Mariah Decoma". I walk up without thinking, not caring what the danger is. I'm to annoyed with a lady who kills children to think straight. then I walk in to the room I may not return from.

**Vera POV**

two girls have gone, possibly to never return, and I sit in the crowd, watching them go. unlike them, I am nervous. my hand trembles, I am covered in sweat, and my hair is disheveled from last night, because I was unable to sleep, the stress weighing heavily on me. switching from Abnegation to Candor has been hard. The comments are hard to except, but I have changed. this is my home. here I love, here I will stay. as I see the lady being pelted with fruit, and the Abnegation side of me wants to help her, but I'm no longer in abnegation, I'm in candor. I will not be helped or excepted if I do what I want to, so I stand still. I hear my parents voices in my head

'be kind, be caring', 'help others when they're down', 'always protect', 'be proud of your caring side'. I almost wish I could forget them, sometimes. when asked my deepest regret, it was that I almost never told the truth. now it is that I left abnegation, the peaceful kindest. I have realized that I'm a true abnegation.

I watch as the lady walks up, and I let a tear fall of my face as I wish for a friend to hold onto.

"the last girl is Vera Monear" she says quietly and I almost fall over, I'm so nervous.

I tremble as I walk up. I command myself to keep going and as soon as I get to the back room, I break out sobbing. the others from candor look disgusted, while a girl from Abnegation and a girl from amity come to comfort me. I hug them and cry on their shoulders. I expect to die.

**Ryan POV**

I watch as all three girls disappear, and I feel bad for Vera. we transferred for different reasons. hers is to tell the truth, mine was to stay with her. I have always loved her quiet, kind demeanor, and have been sad to see her lonely, but always to nervous to approach her. I watch her leave, tears running down her face, her trying to look strong. I am not scared to be picked. I have made my peace with death, as long as I get to talk to Vera about how I feel about her.

then the lady walks to the bowl.

then she slowly picks up a paper

then she bites her lip

then she opens the paper

then she reads the name

then she says "Ryan Banart"

what are the chances I think to myself. I walk back to where Vera has tears streaking down her face. there are two girls next to her, one abnegation, one amity. I drag a chair next to her. I take her hand in mine and smile. I just feels right. we fit together. she smiles and I see another tear streak down her face and while I'm brave enough, I wipe it away with my thumb. she smiles and wipes her sleeve. her smile makes my heart melt.

"Vera, you look so beautiful" I say with a grin

"thanks" she says, looking away shyly

"I love you" I say into her eyes. and I give her a hug, and she hugs me back. then I plant a quit kiss on her cheek and she smiles right back. I am in love.

**sorry, coudnt help writing a fluff chapter. plus, I felt bad for Vera after that part and I just though she and Ryan would go well together, two shy children stuck together in a life or death situation. I like it.**

**-Fly on (='.'=)**


	6. Chapter 5: the tributes of dauntless

**Ember POV**

though most factions are nervous at the thought of dyeing, we aren't. or we just don't show it as much. What can I say, we're dauntless, we're insane. we're all insane together, but still insane.

we all head towards the pit for the choosing of the tributes. there are no volunteers, only who is picked. I am more nervous than the rest of my faction. they are jumping around, ready to jump off a train to show bravery, literally.

I reach up and grab Phoenix's hand. She is only a few months older than me, so we went through initiation together. though she is only slightly older than me, she is like a mother. she is quiet and protective, and can be fierce if the moment is called for. I look up into her golden eyes, almost seeing a reflection of myself. many have mistaken us for twins, which is quite easy. we have the same orange-ish red-ish flowing hair, the same gold eyes, the same tanned skin, the same freckles. we have been told we even have the same lopsided, silly grin. she smiles at me, which is not the same as her grin (or is it our grin?), but is still beautiful. it is a reassuring smile, but behind her eyes, I see that she will protect me with her life, but I hope it doesn't come to that. I love her to much to leave her.

we are both teased for our names sometimes, but I think they match our appearances. Ember and Phoenix, the fiery sisters, our mom used to say. every time she said it, both of us would grin our infamous grin. she described us as her candles in the dark, her light in the dark. I miss her. she died when we were 15 and she was never able to see us through initiation. I sigh as a tear rolls down my face, a single tear, of the joyful memories I have of her, and the sorrow of losing her.

I look up at Phoenix, only two inches taller than me. "thinking of mom" she says.

I nod silently.

"yeah, me too. "she almost whispers. "she would be so proud of us today, with all we have accomplished today. look at us, our own family" she smiles down at me.

then we are assembled, all to quickly. I see the same picker as every year, and she seems to only be a ghost of the woman we saw in abnegation. I sigh, remembering the scenes from the other factions, mainly candor. the truth can hurt. she walks up onto the platform and there are two bowls just like in every other faction. one pink, one blue. she walks up to the pink bowl and whispers

"ladies first" with downcast eyes. she used to be so peppy, but now that woman is gone.

she reaches into the bowl for the first name and unfolds it. slowly reading she says "Ember Coala"

I feel a look of horror reach my face, no I can't do this. I feel Phoenix wrap her arms around me and roar "never", but after that, I cant think straight. what is happening? will I die?

**Phoenix POV**

I watch as the lady unfold the paper, then reads my sisters name. I look down at her, her small face has a look of pure horror on it.

"never" I roar, scaring the people around me. I tightly wrap my arms around Ember. they will not take my sister. Ember collapses into my arms, still awake, but not thinking.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and whirl around, one arm clasped around Ember, one arm ready to murder whoever tried to steal my baby sister. Before me stands a fat man, obviously out of shape. on his shirt is a name tag saying "Tobby"

"excuse me, mam, but we need to take this young lady to the games, assuming of course that she is Ember Coala"

"yes, she is Ember. no you may not take her. she is my sister and you may not have her. She is my Ember, my light in the dark" I spit, quoting my mother. "I will do anything to protect her, including murdering you."

the people who know me take a step back. I was top of my class, number one. I beat the crap out of anyone who tried to beat me, and I wasn't even being defensive. this time I will fight, for real.

"I'm sorry, miss, but she must come with us. I will take by force."

"try to _Tobby_ I dare you."

his brow furors and I see that he is thoroughly annoyed. I don't care. let him be. he will not take my ember.

"does that mean that you will go with her" he asks

"no." I say "that means that she is not going, I am willing to go in her stead, but then that would be only me, not both of us."

"fine. by force then" he sneers

I hear stomping boots all around me. I turn and see that we have been attacked by unseen solders. by we, I only mean Ember and me. I use some colorful language, then I attack. eight of them, one of me, but I don't care. I will die to day if I have to , but they will never take my Ember away. Ember clings to me, close. I lash out at the nearest solider, hitting him in the stomach with my boot. I punch the next one and fight as I am trained: mercilessly and bravely. I don't count the falls, but I know that there are more than in the beginning. I am desperate now. we are being over whelmed. I scream as my sister is torn from my arms. my scream must wake her up, for then she starts fighting. but there are to many, and we are to few. they force us both into the room, and we are both now tributes.

" I'm sorry Ember. I'm sorry I let them take you. this is all my fault."

"no it isn't" she whispers, he voice now full of strength "we will fight, together, and we will win, together.

**Maya POV**

watching Ember and Phoenix be forced out breaks my heart, and I know by the feeling in the air that I am not the only one. we all loved those sisters. Ember with her lovably, child attitude and humor, and Phoenix with her protective, loving, laid back attitude and motherly figure.

"they can survive" I whisper "they can survive"

I hear someone to my right and someone behind me pick up this mantra. it spreads. then it grows stronger

"they can survive. they can survive" it is in the whole room now. no one can stop it now

"they can survive. they can survive" it grows in intensity, like a wildfire. we all believe, we all know.

"they can survive. they can survive" I smile and change it under my breath

"they will survive. they will survive" this spreads even faster than the first one it is something we all know an believe. it is something true, from the bottom of our hearts. it is a feeling we share, a knowledge in our hearts that we all share, a dream that will be accomplished.

"you there" yells Tobby, trying to yell over our chanting "you who started this" he points at me and I smile and make my way over to him

"what is it?" I ask with a smile

"you cause to much trouble" he says "you are coming with me"

he is obviously dragging me towards the room. "ok" I say, again grinning "but I will survive. I will survive. we all will. there is no way to stop us. we are together on this. we will survive"

as he shoves me towards the room, I whisper "I will return" and in response, I hear "you will survive"

and I know I will

**Shadow POV**

I have watched four girls get forced into these games without any option of leaving. they have bravely fought, and we all expect them to win.

"They will survive. They will survive" is being spread throughout the room. everyone is saying, believing these words. no one is nervous to get picked. the mantra that we have all uttered is true to all of us. us dauntless are one heart, one mind, beating, thinking. and breathing together. to others all we do id fight, but there is so much more to being in dauntless.

the soldiers try, without success, to silence us. I smirk. it will never work. we are dauntless. there is no way to stop us, only to strengthen us.

silently, the lady pulls the last name and silently holds it up. it is mine. I grin. I am proud to join the three girls. I am honored to be known with them. I walk up, not making a big deal of it. I curl my lips "I will return. I will survive" I say as I walk into the room. the games that are meant to stop war, will start it.


	7. Chapter 6: the tributes of erudite

**FYI: I go on break tomarrow, so I will probably have more common up dates. also, thanks to my first subscriber and my first follower for this story. another note, the plot of the story will soon start to unravel, but will not fully unravel for a while. I tried to right this one more from a Erudite POV, noticing details, being more descriptive. please tell me how I did and review!**

**~Fly on**

**Karla POV**

we, of Erudite have contemplated many things. we have contemplated the idea of locking the choosers out, we have considered trying to reason with them, we have thought about locking them in a restricted area, but in the end we know we must abide by the rules. we all saw the soldiers, and the amount of lives that would be lost protecting is more than there would be if we just let the four that shall be picked die. we know it is possible for one of them to survive. it has happened before, actually it is more often that we win than the dauntless wins. hey, we're just that smart. smarts always beats brawn. always. its the stupid Erudite that always die. yes, there are stupid Erudite. and they still manage to somehow pass initiation. how, I don't know.

we all watch as the lady named Monica walks up to the stage that we have set up in the middle of the faction, mainly to get all of our attention. there are two bowls up in the front on the stage. the one on the far right, from my direction is my own. it is pink ceramic with the blue eye of Erudite in the center on the face of it. on the left, exactly opposite of the pink bowl, and slightly, just slightly farther back, but not enough for most people to notice, is the blue bowl. it is exactly the same with the insignia on the center of the face.. I just barley keep from laughing as I realize that they painted the insignia slightly side ways.

I have been told that I am over critical and I pay to much attention to details. I have also been complimented for my attention to detail, so it is a mixed bag of a gift.

I look at Monica. she has changes as she has gone through the factions. at first, she was a peppy, photo loving, fool-grinning, person. now she is a shy, scared, nervous, paranoid,person. as if to prove my point, she glances up shyly through a lock of hair that has fallen in front of her eyes. she looks quickly from side to side as if to look for danger, then looks up at us.

unlike in the beginning, I don't think anyone is scared of getting picked. we have watched the change in the attitude of everyone. we all feel a revolution is coming, slowly but steadily, and that if we are chosen, we can survive long enough to be rescued. if I am picked, I know we will all survive for a while, except those stupid kids from other factions. most of us will survive.

I smirk as I realize that I am already referring to them as us. I will not be surprised as if it turns into us, because that is how my life tends to be.

again, I smirk as she picks my name and holds it up. Ahhhh, the irony. I strut up to the stage, and give a fake, over done, bow drawling "thank you, thank you so much." sometimes I let my arrogance show a little to much. that another flaw I have, but I won't let it be a fatal one.

**Karman POV**

I want to roll my eyes as I see Karla go up there and be her classic self, a jerk. I always thought that the Erudite were just smart and I always had a thirst for knowledge, a thirst that could never be satisfied in abnegation. that is why I transferred. I never realized how arrogant or stubborn they really were. Karla had always been the worst though. she always won, she always bragged, and she always flaunted it. she brought it back to brag about it to our teachers and get out of responsibility. and I was the bane of her existence. lucky me. she always brought out my abnegation, my lower side, everything bad. I was alone here, but not lonely, in a sense.

if I went into the games, the first thing I would do is kill Karla. I know that that sounds extreme, but what do you do when someone tries to ruin most of your life, you do what you can when you get a chance to. my Abnegation side was stronger, but at times, I was way less than an abnegation, I sunk to the level of most erudite. I grimaced at the idea of it, but I still knew it was true.

during my thoughts, I almost missed my name being called. then I smiled. I would have a chance to have a chance at life. and I would do it.

I walked up more humbly than Karla did, with my head down.

**Luna POV**

I have watched two girls , two that hate each other. two of opposite personality. I sigh. I have been forced to be here. I miss Amity. the peace, the quiet, the kindest, the caring, the sunshine, the moonlight, everything. I didn't get a choice. I was threatened, forced to leave. by whom, I don't know. why, I don't know. the poine, again, I don't know. if I am picked, I will never survive. I am to peaceful, to Amity. I laugh, but not a humorous laugh, it is a scornful laugh that I have grown to used to. being here has changed me and not in a good way.

I see Monica step pace on the stage. this is the last girl she will pick. I doubt it will be me. what is the chance that the little Amity girl who was forced to change factions will be forced to fight to the death. then again, I was forced to change once, I will be forced to change again. this time, I will die.

I sigh a sigh of regret. then Monica draws her final girl name. and it is mine.

THIS

SERIOUSLY

SUCKS

**Aaron POV**

one is left. one person who will forced to either kill or be killed. I have some of the Erudite smugness that is so well known, but not to much. I am smart though. I don't let it show, so few will know. this is how I am. secretive, and sneaky. not showing any real character. I have been this way forever, and i will stay this way.

then Monica walks up and picks the last name. it is mine. I walk up with a smug smile on my face. I have a chance.

**sorry for the shorter chapter, but I was running out of ideas. And sorry for how horrible it is. it a little hard to come up with more than twenty stories and OCS. but tomorrow the fun starts! and the real beginning is shown, in a sense. I will try to update ASAP : )**


	8. Chapter 7: the tributes meet

**just so you know, the main character will not be revealed yet. then again, I am not good at keeping secrets. if you figure out the main character, I'll send you a virtual cookie. please review!**

**Luna POV (because she's laid back enough to have a good pov)**

we are all sitting by the tracks. all twenty of us.

"this will go well" says one of the girls from Candor "all of the factions together. what idiot designed this"

I notice that the girl and boy from Candor are holding hand and keep giving each other shy glances. ah, love. will it survive a life or death situation. I hope it will just for them. and there my amity is again, I think, grinning

then a silver train comes speeding toward the tracks. as it slows, I see the four from Dauntless tense to run, and I wonder why. then the train stops and they look totally bewildered. I laugh. who knows what they are used to. the laugh helps cheer me up, and I happily hop into the train. the other Amity have similar reactions to me, and they start laughing and playing games as soon as they mount the train. I think it is to help the stress. I watch the other Amity. I didn't watch the choosing of the Amity in case one of my friends got chosen. I just couldn't bare to watch if they did. so, now I have no idea of who is on the train. I see one of the girls with blonde hair and gasp. I come up and tap her on the shoulder and she turns around.

"Alice?" I say

"Luna?" she has a similar reaction to me, mouth wide open, then she begins to smile.

we hug then put our hands on each other shoulder and jump up and down, squealing like the teenage girls we are.

"I can't believe it" she says, grinning "I thought I'd never see you again"

"so did I" I say, my eyes shining with joy. then we hug. again.

"get out of my way" Karla says, pushing me. "you'll have plenty of time to reunite in the arena" then an evil grin comes onto her face "if you survive long enough"

"and that is why I still wonder why you switched" Alice says, gesturing at Sarah

"its complicated" I say

"isn't life always complicated. but if you want to keep your secrets, that fine by me"

"thanks"

"but remember, secrets don't make friends" she pokes me in the nose, uttering one of the silly mantra we used to have when we were kids. we both laugh, then sit down on the red silk seats

"this must cost a fortune" one of the others says "and yet the factionless have absolutely no food" the girls says, showing that she is abnegation.

Alice and I roll our eyes at each other. Then Monica comes out from another compartment.

"hello, and for those of you who don't know my name, I am Monica"

"we know your name alright, murderer." one of the girls from Candor says.

Monica just ignores her "you will all be staying on this train for the week until we reach the stopping point. there, you will be-"

again she is cut of by the same candor girl "yeah yeah, shown of to everybody in hopes of sponsors. we get the jest."

"shut up, will you. your always blabbing off in the middle of everything, Sarah"

"and your not, Mariah?"

"girls, girls, will you please stop fighting." says Monica

"for now, I will, but later, I can't promise anything." Sarah says, glaring at Mariah, who glares right back.

"as I was saying," Monica continues "you will be brought to the center city. there you will be shown off to every one. after that, you will have one week to hone your skills and practice, without killing each other, for the games. the nest day, you will be brought to the arena and the games will start. and after that, nothing is certain." she looks troubled "now you must get to know each other. you will be spending a lot of time together, and it will be nice for you to meet the people you will be living with. I am also required to take a roll call. here we go: Ella"

"here" says a Abnegation

"Mariah"

"here" say two girl, one abnegation, one candor. the candor narrows here eyebrows the abnegation

"oh, I see we have a problem. well you can come up with nicknames for each other."

"I'll be Riah" says the abnegation

"and I'll be Mariah" says the candor, acting all high and mighty

"Riah" says Monica, writing something on her clipboard

"here "says the abnegation

as Monica continues down the list, I notice that it goes by faction. I try to pay attention to the names, but some slip my mind. I sigh. this is going to be hard.

Monica soon after disappears into a compartment through a locked door, leaving us together. can expect that their are camera, probably soldiers to, to make sure that we don't kill each other a little early.

**Monica POV (didn't see that one coming, did you?)**

I sigh as I disappear into my compartment. I make sure that my door is locked. most of the people in that room would happily kill me. but they don't understand. the leaders that have planned this, planned it perfectly. as soon as I wanted to leave this job. they took my daughter. now they brought her here so they could control me even more. this wasn't about war. this was about control. who could control who.

I pour some wine into a wine glass. ever since they took my daughter, I have become addicted. it seems like it is the only way to deal with life. I brush hair out of my face and tears out of my eyes. I can't bear to see my daughter die. I must cooperate if I want to see her survive this, or even have a chance to. I was try to be the best actress I can, which is hard when your on camera 24/7. my whole life is an act.

I walk up to the mirror. I remember how I used to look. my hair used to be a light brown. now all this time trapped inside with no connection to the outside world, has turned it dark brown. I still have lighter highlights, but that is about the extent of it. my eyes have also changed. they used to be blue, but now they are forest green. I don't know what has caused my eyes to change, but they have. and my memories have also changed. the only memory they left my was of my daughter, how she looked, and how much I loved her. they took away every other memory. I don't even remember my own faction. how despicable can I get. I look back up into the mirror and see tears falling down my face in a river. again, I wipe them away. my daughter must survive.

**Luna POV**

we all hear sobbing coming from Monica room.

"I hope she's sad" says Sarah (Candor)

"hey, you don't know what her situation is" defends Ella (abnegation)

"guys, calm down. we can't go on fighting each other. we can survive if we all do this together. we are stronger as a group" says Ryan (candor)

"easy for you to say, lover boy"

"I'm going to my room" I announce

"same here" say most of the abnegation and the amity.

"and how are you going to find those" ask Shadow, who's name is easy to remember because of his appearance.

I point to the hall wall labeled 'Tribute Rooms' "I think I'll just go that way"

"oh." he says flatly, making it obvious that he didn't see them.

I notice that everyone form the other factions stays in the nicer room. as I walk down the hall way, I see that, again, everything is separated by factions.

Alice comes up behind me and jumps on me, tackling me playfully. I laugh. "come on" she says. "we should go to your room, then to mine and then compare rooms, seeing if they stereotype"

"ok, I'll race you there" I say, then I start running

"no fair" she whines " you've always been faster

as expected, I do get to my room first. It is in the last section of the rooms because they put them in order alphabetically by faction. so first is the abnegation rooms, then the amity rooms, then the candor rooms, then the dauntless rooms, and lastly, the erudite rooms. my room has my name on it. I walk into it to see how it is. my bed is a twin sized and the covers are a boring white. the bed is oak. I see book selves, four of them to be exact. and they are chocked full of books. I see that onto of the first bookshelf, there is a label that reads 'books A-F:500', the second says 'books E-M,650', the third says 'books N-R: 400' and the last say 'books S-Z: 300'.

"to many labels" complains Alice

"well" I sigh "the erudite do like order. and sorting. and reading. and information"

"yeah yeah" she scoffs "all that boring stuff"

I see a closet in the corner and expect to see something exciting. I open it quickly, but all it has in the stupid blue uniform that I see every day. in the corner I see that I also have my own dresser and bathroom. in the bathroom, I see a weird panel with tons of buttons. I read the labels on some of them. extra heated bath, foot scrub, instant hair dry, lavender scented soap, auto hair comber, scalp massage, scented shampoo and conditioner: pick your scent, back massage, perfumer, and heated towel, was only the first row.

"this is slightly ridicules, slightly cool" comments Alice. "now lets go see my room"

as we're walking down the hall, I ask her "how did you feel when you got picked"

she hesitates "I felt like a child again. I was nervous and scared. I wasn't sure that if I got picked, I could make it out alive. I felt helpless, like a little child again. how did you feel?"

I hesitate the same way she did, but she told me how she felt, so I will tell her how I felt. "I felt like I had nothing to lose. but at the same time, I knew I would I would die. I felt like if I died, no one would care. I didn't want to die, but no one would care if I lived or not" I confide in her.

"oh Luna" she wraps her arms around me. "why did you have to leave"

I hug her back.

when she lets go, I ask her "how is Tara doing?"

again, she hesitates. "she was sad after you left, but she has been doing better. right now, though, she is heart broken. she picked Mali."

I grin. "if Tara is sad, then we must return to comfort her. we must return together."

she smiles back "yes we will"

we walk into her room. "oh my goodness, I am so jealous " I exclaim. she giggles

her room is colorful. the blanket that covers her bed is printed with hummingbirds and flowers. the walls show the apple orchard. her closet has all the red and yellow. were my bookshelf was, she has a ton of games, both electronic and hand held. her bathroom is the same as mine with the panel and all, except, in place of my read to me button, she has a games button.

I shake my head "you lucky dog" she giggles.

we walk back into the main room and I realize that we are the last ones back.

"you two done skipping like the idiots you are" says Karla (Erudite)

I roll my eyes. "if I flush, will you go away?"

"that smart, are you" she sneers

Alice laughs, totally oblivious "I get it, cause when you flush, you throw poop away, so your, like, calling her-"

"Alice, please stop" I say calmly

"ok, jeeze." she says

"now, as I was saying before we were ruddily interrupted by these two fools" says Karla

"actually, you interrupted yourself by pointing us out" I say matter of fact.

"you little fool, you think your so smart. well your not!" she yells

"at least I'm smarter than you" I retort

"oh, just leave each other alone" Vera (candor) says wearily

"why?" why should we listen to you?" Karla says

"you leave her alone" yells Ryan (Candor) stepping in front of Vera

"everyone, shut up right now" says Maya (dauntless) in a quiet deadly voice

if she had been yelling, it would have still been scary, but not this scary. her black tattoos and dauntless clothing were also scaring us.

"now why don't we all go to sleep, because, if no one's noticed, its 10:30 and we should get sleep before the other days" Maya continued

the scramble to get to our rooms would have been hilarious if I wasn't also scared. I went to sleep that night with fevered dreams

**any there is my first chapter with all the tributes. if you lost track of who is from what faction, just pm or review and I'll respond. I hope your enjoying my book. please r&r. also, a special shout out to:**

**song of falling feathers for being my first reviewer and my first follower. thank you very much**

**firestar zero for being the first person to favorite my story**

**p.s.:: yes, I am the kind of author who dances around the living room squealing every time I get a review, follow, or favorite. I have a similar reaction to favorites, follows and reviews as the girls at my school do to boyfriend, if that gives you any ideas of how I react.**

**~fly on ='.'=**


	9. Chapter 8: day two one the train

**I am trying to write from a bunch of different POV's so that you can see this through the eyes of different people and get more than just one opinion. and so I can hide secrets about the main character that will be hidden until later. mwah ha ha. :) pm me if you figure out the main character.**

**Ella POV (abnegation)**

no had seemed to notice last night when I snuck away to my room after Monica had taken a roll call. of course mine had been the first in the hall way, so of course i had had to their stupid bickering for hours before they stopped and I saw the light under my door go out and I knew that they had gone to bed. I stayed in bed and thought no one had noticed until Mariah knocked on my door and came in. I immediately pretended to be asleep, but she said

"I know your awake. I can hear your sniffling out in the hall."

I suddenly realized that I had been sniffling. "I'm fine. just um... tired" I told her, but it came out more like a question.

she laughed and came and sat down next me. "it is highly possible that we are going to die in one month. its fine to be little self centered."

I looked up at her "I know that in abnegation we don't usually touch, but can I hug you?"

she laughed "of course" then she reached over and hugged me. it was the first time some one had ever hugged me, and I liked it. it made me feel safe, like someone loved me.

"now come on, we need to go get breakfast"

"I'm not sure I want to go when everybody else is in there." I say

"I'll bring you some food" she jumps up before I can stop her. a couple of minutes later she comes back with a plate piled high with food.

"Jeez" I say "I wouldn't eat that much food"

she laughs "I didn't know what you wanted, so I just got a little bit of everything."

"what's this thing?" I say, plucking a round, purple small ball (**its suppose to be a grape)**

"I don't know. go ask the Amity girls." again she laughs

I pop the round thing into my mouth. it is sweet and juicy. "I like it" I announce I find another one, but this time, instead of purple, it's green. this one is more sour. I like the green one more, and I continue to taste test all the foods on the plate. when we are both done eating and our stomachs are a lot more full than they should be, she comments

"who knew anything that has to do with these games could even be remotely fun"

I sigh "I think we should join the others. I don't want to, but I think we have to."

"I agree" she says and we walk out of the room

she shows me where the dinning room is on the train and I marvel at how much bigger the inside is than the outside. as we are walking around, I see everyone in the first part of the train, the part with the red silk seats and I notice that they pulled a table in the middle.

"what are we up to?" I ask, trying to join in the conversation

Karla (Erudite) turns to me "I don't know what your up to, and frankly, I don't care, but you don't need to know what we are doing, mainly because you are not part of it"

"oh, just leave the attitude off for once, will you?" Karman (erudite) rolls her eyes at Karla

"what attitude?" Karla sneers

"oh, for crying out loud, will you two just knock it off" says Luna (erudite)

"what, does the ickle little amity baby want to join in on this."

"shut up now." Luna says in a voice that no one almost heard, but the room went silent.

still Karla persisted "need mommy to come help you-"

she was cut off by a punch from Luna. I see Alice's eyes widen as Luna sits on top of Karla and pummels her with her fists. Alice tries to drag her off of Karla , but she only get shrugged off by Luna. then all hell breaks loose. Karman tries to help Luna, who really doesn't need help, Leah and Tyler (amity) try to pull Luna off with Alice, Mali is hiding in the corner, the dauntless are just watching and laughing. I don't know where everyone else is, because suddenly the same solders from the dauntless compound come in and drag everyone off of each other. everyone, involved in the fight or not is locked in their room.

I sit on the side of my bed. my room is plain, everything is gray, the bed, the clothes, floor, the walls. it is quite boring. I have nothing on my walls. the shower seems over indulgent, with all those fancy buttons. I think they waste way to much material on trying to make this place nice. they should give this to the factionless. I sigh. there in inner abnegation is again. I decided to sleep. I need to rest.

I awake to a loud voce over the intercom that I didn't know existed saying "all tributes, please report to the main room"

I check my door. it is still locked. I sigh, a habit that has become way to common for me in these last two days.

I hear someone kick a door down and say "that felt good" then walk down the hall. I stifle a laugh. the dauntless can be hilarious.

"will you let me out of here" I yell

and I hear the same voice respond "give me a minute" I hear another door go crashing down then she tells me "you might want to back up"

I quickly get out of the way and my door comes crashing down. I see two girls, both dauntless, as I expected. they both look like twins, with golden eyes, orangey red hair, tannish skin, and freckles. the only physical difference is that one of them is taller

the shorter one sticks her hand out "my names Ember, what's yours?"

I stare at her hand, then she pulls it back saying "Stiff, right? sorry, I forgot, you don't touch"

the older one elbows her. "be nice, Ember" then she turns to me and bows "hello Ella, My name is Phoenix."

I bow back, before asking "how did you know my name?"

"I was listening and trying to remember everyone's names last night" she says

I hear one of the soldiers from earlier coming down the hall and unlocking doors. I see him get to the dauntless section and then he looks at Phoenix's and Embers doors.

he turns to us said "did you really have to knock down the door. couldn't you just wait a couple of minuets."

"she could have, she just didn't want to" Ember informs him

we all laugh.

I suddenly realized how much my deadly shyness has melted away since this began. It seemed I was changing all to quickly.

the soldier got to the Erudite section and I knew someone who hadn't changed.

"couldn't have been a little quicker, seriously?" was Karla's first response.

the soldier only grunted.

then Karman came out with her hands on her hips. "oh, shut up Karla"

Maya came out of her room next "you guys, we seriously just got locked up for fighting, do you really want to start fighting again?"

"finally, something we all agree on" I said, getting angry glares from everybody

I noticed that a lot of the people stayed in the rooms and I wondered if I wasn't the only one that wanted to take a nap.

"it's dinner time" the soldier announced, showing how much time had passed, then he disappeared into another room.

"and now I know why I'm so hungry" said Luna, who came out of her room and was shortly joined by Alice

we all headed to the dinning room. for the first time I saw the array of food, and I don't just mean what they had there, I mean the food that existed. living in Abnegation, I had never seen most of what food apparently existed. I was used to beans and bread. now I see food of every color. I see red, green, and purple, round things, like I had this morning. I saw a larger orange ball that smelled amazing. I saw a yellow ovals thing, and soon I started asking questions about the different foods. I found out that I really liked the fruits. I liked grapes, oranges, mangos, kiwi, apples, and other things with names I never had. it was weird, all these new tastes. how ever much I love abnegation, I realize how much I've missed out on. I've missed laughing all the time and really hard, I've missed a lot foods, I've missed out on colored clothing, which I want to start wearing soon. it seems that there is a lot more to life than I've known about. this time on the train is going to be interesting.

after eating dinner, Karla stood up "ok, we need a plan"

"a plan for what" I asked, through a mouth full of fruit. I was the only one still eating.

Karla sighs, like is was obvious, which it might be to her, but it wasn't to me. "to survive, to escape"

"there's no way possible, at all" I say

"leave the thinking to the Erudites" she said, pointing to herself "and first we need some outside help"

"and how are we going to get that" asked Lucas (abnegation)

Karla looked mad

"well" I pressed

she glared at me "I don't know" she said through her teeth

"exactly" said Aaron "and you wondered why I questioned you yesterday" said Ryan, rolling his eyes

"didn't everyone question her yesterday?" asked Vera

I saw the look in everyone's eyes, and I was pretty sure a fight was about to break out. again. I walked into my room and I heard Riah coming behind me. she sat down next to me on my bed.

"it's funny" she said, initiating conversation

"what" I said quizzically

"in abnegation, we never knew each other, and we might have seen each other in the halls, but it would take years to make a best friend, or even a close one. and yet, we've known each other for about a day, and yet we're already close friends."

"I guess life and death situations do that to you. who knew that the games would be the best place to make friends?" I ask

we both laugh.

after little while, we just start talking about anything and everything. I tell her about Rosalie, my little sister. she admits that she heard my little sister and she tells me how she got picked. after awhile, we both end up falling asleep side by side on my bed. I smile. I finally have a true friend.

**note: for the next chapter, there will be a time skip. it will be about one week later, so expect that. yay, I'm almost 10 chapters in. excited! see you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 9: the day before preparation

**ok, so first of all, I am super sorry for not updating sooner. on Saturday, fan fiction kept giving me this error two notice thing, and I didn't know how to stop it. on Sunday, I was away from a computer and hanging out with the family. on Monday, I was horse back riding and clothes shopping. then I had to go to new York for a funeral. its been super crazy. I hope you enjoy this chapter atleast.**

**Karla ****POV (didn't see that one coming)**

it was getting seriously boring on this stupid train. every time we tried to make a plan to escape or survive, the rest of those idiots started an all out brawl. of course they started locking us in our rooms. at one point, everyone started trying to knock the door down. after the first time, the dauntless just got it right away. the rest of the idiots I was stuck with took forever to get the hang of it. I got it the first time I tried, as expected. I remember the time that the soldiers just didn't unlock the doors because we were all unlocking our own and others. I really don't understand what the point of opening others doors is. why not just leave them there. less things to deal with for the few of us that were actually smart.

I laid in my bed in my room for a while. what is the point in going out of my room to deal with those hooligans. this train is so stupid. it is always making this creaking noise and it is always going in the same direction and same speed. no change, nothing interesting. I sighed. I was getting hungry, so I got into my blue clothing and meandered out into the dining room. I plopped down into the seat. I piled my plate with some bacon, fruits and a bagel.

I felt someone looking at the back of my head, so I turned around and saw Luna standing there.

"what? "I shot at her "never seen someone eat a bagel before"

"I was looking the donuts next to your to big head" she shot back

"my heads big" I scoffed "ever look in a mirror?"

"yeah, and your heads a lot bigger" she yelled

"will you shut up!" yelled Ryan (candor)

I saw that, under the table, Ryan and Vera were holding hands. despite how much I wanted to despise them, I grudgingly thought it was slightly cute. I would never admit it out loud though.

"why don't you?" I glared back

"please, will everyone shut up now" Maya yelled, rolling her eyes

"why should-" I was cut of as she drove a knife into the table between my fingers. I grinned smugly to conceal my flinch "can you hit anything other than the table with thing"

she leaned forward and in a flash threw the knife across the room

"missed" I sneered

I saw a hint of amusement play itself across her eyes "oh really"

I noticed that Ryan and Vera were also suppressing smiles. I leaned forward and felt something holding my left shoulder back. I looked over and saw the knife buried in the chair right next to my arm, holding my arm back

"nice" I commented "but was that just luck" I said, yanking the knife out of my sleeve

before I even set the knife down, she had grabbed and launched four more knives. I felt myself pushed backwards by the ferocity of her throws as each knife hit its intended mark. there were two on my sleeves, one on either side, and two imbedded in my collar.

"respect" I said, raising my eyebrows

she grinned "I never miss"

"I wish you had" muttered Luna, murdering my very rare good mood.

"everyone, just cool it" said Alice, entering the dining room.

I was silent as everyone else entered the dining room. of course my good mood was ruined, what could I expect. I was suppose to die in this silly game, after all. for once, I began to doubt my chance at winning this game. I had a 5% chance of winning, why should it be me? I shook my head. if I doubt, I will die. I need to keep that thought in my head. the moment I begin to doubt my chances of winning, that is when my chance will go down the drain. I don't want to miss the train, no pun intended.

after breakfast, I walked into my little compartment and sprawl out on the bed and begin to think. I think about these games. what else could I think about. tomorrow is the preparation, then the parade. how will they dress us up tomorrow? I will be partnered with either Karman, Luna, or Aaron. I am really not that exited about any partnership. Karman and Luna want to kill me as it is and I'm pretty sure I'll get stuck with her since life seems to hate me. I sigh. I need to think of a way to win. I should get a ally. I know that any of the dauntless would be good to a point, but you have the issue that they might try to show off or not think before acting. someone from abnegation would be good, I would have a human shield. they would be the partner that would die for me if need be. amity would be absolutely useless. candor could be of some use, but not much. again my mind comes to dauntless. I know that Maya can throw knives, but I also know that those two sisters can fight without weapons. I don't know much about the Shadow guy, although he seems to fancy Ember. and she has no clue. I decide that I will either ask one of the abnegation, probably Vallery because she won't faint at the slightest hint of danger, hopefully, or I will ask one of the dauntless girls. I know that the sisters are a team, so I could get two if I ask them, or I could get Maya. I like Maya, she seems to have a few traits similar to me, but not many. we are slightly alike and I think we would make a good team. the fleeting idea of asking Shadow comes to mind and I decide that if he displays any useful qualities, I might ask him.

I lay on my bed and time goes by quicker than I expect it to. soon it is lunch time and I head to the dining train. as usual, all of us are siting by faction, though we were encouraged to integrate. Aaron is next to me, and he seems to be a lot like Shadow. no personality. I have tried to get a rise out of him, but he never reacts. he just smirks and walks away. Luna is next, then Karman, both of whom are shooting dagger looks at me. I grin. I have already had really daggers shot at me today.

a chef comes out with the food saying "today we have a real treat" with a flourish he pulls of the silver lid off of the platter. all I see is some cake, which is unusual because desert is usually later.

Maya, who is sitting on my right sighs and her eyes go wide "dauntless cake! how on earth did you get it?"

"what so special about it" I mutter

she slices the cake into humungous slices and grabs the two biggest "here" she says, shoving the smaller of the two towards me. she starts to slowly eat the cake, savoring ever bite. her eyes roll up into her head. "tastes like home" she sighs.

"well that is an absolutely over dramatic reaction" drawls Mariah.

without looking, Maya grabs a knife and chucks it at her. I watched as it embedded itself in her sleeve.

"ha! you missed" Mariah says, just like I did this morning

"did she" I say with a grin. everyone around the table is laughing, giggling or smiling

Mariah goes to lean forward then notices the knife in her sleeve. she grabs it and slams it into the table.

"and that was nothing for her" I say, grinning

"really, I bet that was so hard." Mariah says, fuming.

those of us who were here for breakfast start to grin ever harder, knowing what is coming. Maya closes her eyes again and grabs four knives. Mariah goes pale. in a flash Maya throws them across the room. they land in a different position than last time, but I could tell it was how she had planned it. two knives were in the collar, one on each side, another was above her head and so close I was amazed not to see any blood, and the other was right underneath her armpit. half of us in the room cheered as Mariah let out a sigh of relief. her eyes were the size of diner plates. she wiggled the knives out of the wood.

"Impressive" Mariah breathed out

"she never misses" I say smugly. its nice to see it happen to someone else.

"hey! that my line" Maya poked me playfully

I look at the hunk of chocolate cake in front of me. "now lets see about this amazing cake" I say. I take a bite. "wow!" I say, surprised "this is good. I didn't know you could cook."

she shoves me, but pushed just a little to hard and shoves me out of my chair. "oops" Is her only reaction

"well aren't you going to apologize" I say as I get up and brush myself of to everybody's laughter.

"no" she says "I'm not sorry I did it. while it was an accident, it was hilarious and I can't promise it won't happen again later."

"rude" I say, joking and I put my hand in her face in the universal 'talk to the hand' gesture, which just brings another round of laughter.

for once, I feel like others matter. it is a strange, good feeling. I have never had it happen before but I like it. this playful, messing around. it is easily enjoyed.

after lunch, I go back to my room and Maya follows me.

"don't you dare shove me of my bed" I joke, and she laughs.

she sits down beside me and we just sit there in silence.

"so what's home like" she asks me

"what?" I say, surprised

"I've always wondered how other factions are, just curious"

"well" I say "for starters, we don't throw knives at each other."

she laughs again and I smile.

"it's all glass buildings. everyone wears the same thing. there is order. we usually work on research. its pretty cool. we look into serums and formulas. initiation was quite interesting. we all work on formulas and do research projects and answer questions."

"wow" she comments "you guys sound slightly boring."

"hey" I try to say but she just runs right over me "

"the first day of initiation we shot guns. I was decent. it was pretty fun. after that we threw knives. as you can tell, I excel at that"

we both grin

"and good thing you don't miss" I add

she elbows me in the rib cage.

"after that, we started fighting and technique. we got to fight each other. it was pretty cool."

"ssounds interesting ." I say "but not as interesting as a 50 page research paper on biomechanics"

"and thank God I didn't have to do that" she says

"HEY" I elbow her side "it was quite fun and interesting."

"not as fun as facing your fears, literally." she says

"but I know the formula to make the test from initiation"

"bet you don't know what a fear landscape is"

"bet you I can research it"

"bet you haven't faced your fears head on"

"bet you haven't used a computer"

we went on and on like such, trying to top each other. it was alot more fun than you would expect

we both just talked about everything. it was nicer to have someone who would listen to what I had to say and accualy care about it. I also listened as she talked about dauntless and incessantly brought up dauntless cake. apparently it is one of the prides of dauntless. don't ask me why. later, after we had been talking for hours, we went to dinner. there was accal food, not just cake. I went to bed will be a long day.

~~««*{_="IAmAFancyPageBreak"=_}*»»~~


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